Author Archive

A New Season, and a New Start!

With the close of the 2009 season, I found myself looking for a new place to hunt.  The property I was hunting has been sold, and I had to begin the search for new land.  Thanks to my host Len and his Brother-In-Law Jerry, I had 4 very good years of hunting in northern Lapeer County.

My plans for this season are to hit the public hunting zones and see what they have to offer.  I have seen some very promising deer in these areas and hopefully, I will be able to harvest one.  Along with changing my location, I will also be changing my hunting routine.  On public land it is pretty risky to leave a tree stand in the woods.  There is a very good chance that you come in to find an empty tree.  I really started thinking about John Eberhart’s books and DVDs, and realized that the “Ambush Sling” or “Tree Saddle” might be for me.  It is totally portable, comfortable and quiet.  I plan to use the Tree Saddle in conjunction with a set of API Aluminum ladder sticks.

My new plan renders my old back pack and tree stand habits pretty much useless.  I need to change to a bow hook that is close to the tree vs the Primos bow hanger that I have used for years.  I need to carry less junk in my pack as the big back pack I was using only gets in the way now.  I need to setup a small pack that I can hang against the tree for easy access.

…this is going to be a big CHANGE!

change

[cheynj]  Show IPA verb, changed, chang·ing,noun

1.to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of(something) different from

what it is or from what it wouldbe if left alone: to change one’s name;

to change one’sopinion; to change the course of history.

Technology in the Tree Stand

Have you ever been scouting and found great signs, and wanted to record the location, or even take a photo for when you return in the fall?  Paper and pen never worked to good for me, so I looked into an application for my smart phone.  What I found is an app called Huntin’ Buddy for Android.  This program is REALLY cool!  It lets me setup a hunting trip and add events – an event can be a sighting, sign, missed shot, wounded, or found animal. When you record an event it automagically stores the weather, location, time and date, and it even allows you to attach a photo or video from your phone.  I will have to try it out and post a review, as of now, I like it!  It does all of the things that I want, and it is a pretty good GPS to help keep me from getting lost!

Information automatically logged for you:

Other information you can add to any event:

Android apps at AppStoreHQ

Find all the tree stands for hunting you need at SportsmansGuide.com

Only 45 days left! Better makes the most of them…

With only 45 days remaining before October 1st is here, it is really important to make the most of every day.  I am finally caught up on all of the “To-Do’s”, so I am going to start tuning my bow and hitting the weekend 3d shoots.

Detroit Sportsmen’s Congress (Utica) – Every weekend before 2 PM

It is also time to start thinking about the pre-season prep and scouting.  This time of year is REALLY NASTY in the woods, there are a thousand different types of bugs that want to eat you, and if that’s not enough, POISON IVY is very ripe this time of year.  So remember when you do your scouting and prep work to dress appropriately.

The Elusive “300 – Perfect Score”

I have yet to shoot a perfect 3D round.

I have come very close with a score of 296 (2 near misses) and a 295 (one body miss).  This weeks 3d round threw me a curve as I started very strong, but the 3rd target I encountered some technical difficulties…  My D-Loop came untied after about a thousand arrows – that was the last thing I expected to fail.  So i tied it back together a few times but was unable to locate anyone on the course with a cigarette lighter to get the proper knot.  So I lost at least 20 points as I had to make shot with a loose D-Loop or no D-Loop.  I t was kind of a bummer.  To offset my badluck… my partner was on a roll!  At the 13th target someone said  ”…wow, you have a perfect round going!”.  As luck or jinx has it…  Mike missed his 28th 10 mark by about an inch and buried X’s on number 29 and 30.  One shot from a perfect – GREAT shooting Mike!

Let us know if you have ever shot a perfect round…

No Turkey for Mother’s day this year :(

I only had a few days to hunt, and I was pretty excited to hear gobblers the night before my permit.  It was just about sunset when I hit the owl call and a couple Toms gobbled back.  In the morning I setup right where I heard the birds, but they roosted the other side of a swamp and would not cross it to come to me.  So when they stopped gobbling, I headed to the woods on the north side of the road and bumped a flock of birds, there was a tom at full strut, a couple jakes and about 4 hens.  I was so mad that I spooked them off.  The next morning I cam back and had gobblers and hens talking all around me, but the weren’t buying whatever I was selling!  So to make a long story short…  i didn’t have enough time to really work the woods and was unable to score a bird this year.

Can’t wait for turkey season…

This will be the first year I have hunted turkey in a few years.  I am starting to get excited about it.  My son and I got drawn for our hunt – 2nd week of the season.  We have seen a lot of birds migrating into our area in Oakland county, so we decide to try our luck here rather than driving upstate somewhere.  In the past we always hunted in the thumb.  Our results were mixed; there were times when we saw birds EVERYWHERE, and there were times that we were lucky to hear a gobble.

The question we are asking ourselves…  Do we hunt with bow and arrow, or the ol’ smoke pole?  I think the mornings that we go out together, we will take the shotguns, and the mornings that are solo, I will take the bow.

Since I have never gone after Turkey with a bow, I need to learn what the best strategy is.  I have talked to some guys about this and have heard a few different view points…

• Gobbler Guillotine and take off the head
• Fixed blade broadhead and take a heart shot
• Fixed blade and take a shot to the upper thigh

…the upper thigh thing caught me by surprise.  A guy at Bass Pro Shop told me that he has shot them in the heart and they would either fly away or run away and never be found.  So he told me the last few birds he has taken, he shoots them in the upper thigh and they can’t fly or run.  Thought it was a little weird but it makes sense.

What is your preferred turkey bow kill?

Time to start talking TURKEY!

Turkey hunting is one of the coolest hunts I have ever done!  My son and I started Turkey hunting a few year ago, and got hooked.  It is an awesome sport, because it’s you against the Tom.  Unlike deer; the turkey can see like a hawk and hear like an elephant.  They’re also very skittish, so hunting turkey is a challenge like no other.

Remember…  January 31st is the last day to submit for a turkey license.

Awesome Buck!

One of our users shot this buck in early November and finally got the final scoring of 160 5/8″.  Becky wins the 2009 Michigan Bowhunting Blog Big Buck Contest!

My grandfather instilled my love for the woods and hunting when I was little by accompanying him rabbit and deer hunting, we also spent hours in the woods sitting quietly to see what wildlife we could observe and how close they would come to us. He unfortunately passed away before I was old enough to hunt but I still follow many of his “rules” about hunting. About 9 years ago a friend who knew of my passion for the woods and my craving to start hunting introduced me to bow hunting. I shot year round in archery leagues and spent my falls through Jan. 1st in the woods with my bow. The years of accounting work caught up with me and after three surgeries on my right hand and elbow in March of 2005 I could no longer pull my bow due to permanent nerve damage in by right hand, in the summer of 2005 I applied for a crossbow permit and was granted a permanent crossbow permit by the State of Michigan. It will never be the same as hunting with my bow but I’ve come to terms with it.

At 9:10 am on November 4, 2009 I observed the doe that is missing the tips of her ears walking down the trail to the side of where I was sitting. I then noticed movement about 40 yards behind her off the trail in heavy brush, when I caught sight of his antlers my heart skipped a beat. The direction that he was heading would only provide me with one very narrow shooting lane if he would step into it. I started mouth calling to him and spent about 15 minutes getting him to stay in the area but was never able to get him to step into the shooting lane. During this time the doe bedded about 15 yard from where I was sitting. My last sight of him was his antlers moving away from me in the heavy brush. At about 10:30 am another single doe approached down the same trail as the first doe, who then proceeded to stand up when she heard her approaching. As I glanced back and forth between the two does, the tips of his antlers suddenly appeared between them, he had bedded in the heavy brush. As he slowly approached the incoming doe he stepped into the narrow shooting lane and I instantly squeezed the trigger. He jumped high and ran back into the heavy brush, within seconds I heard what I was sure was him crashing. It was 10:45 am I quietly exited my stand going in the opposite direction. Upon reaching the house I called my 16 year old daughter and then drove and picked her up from school, I just couldn’t do the hour wait by myself. We easily located him, he went 60 yards. While finding him was easy the two of us quickly found out that loading him into the back of the truck was going to be impossible. (We do not field dress deer out in the field because of the increasing coyote numbers.) After multiple phone calls we located a neighbor and another friend who helped us load him into the truck. Kruizenga’s Archery weighed him after field dressing at 222 pound. The Plainwell DNR Office aged him at 6 ½ years old with a possibility of being 7 ½.
On January 10, 2010 he was panel scored by three senior measurers of Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and a Boone and Crockett measurer, his official net score is 160 5/8”. We currently hold the Michigan Women’s Crossbow Typical record.
My fondest memories of this buck will be the time I spent that day with my youngest daughter, having her with me to share the wait and then his recovery. I will never forget our laughter at not being able to get him into the truck and our time together while we showed him to relatives and close hunting buddies. Those will be my most treasured memories of this buck.

It was a rough year!

the deer pole looked beter in the Great Depression than it does now

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2009 was a rough year for many.  The economic woes of high unemployment, recession, and the overall environment has left us all feeling like 2009 was a bust.  The deer season has come to a close in the same fashion as everything else this year.  I am curious to see what the DNR reports as the season results.  My local observations were that it was a very trying season for most.  There are some big deer around the state (proof is in the Big Buck forum), but my overall belief is that the deer herd is shrinking.  Hopefully I am wrong , but I have talked to several hunters that feel the same.

Attached is a letter from one of the site administrators.  Please leave your comments and feedback…

Friends,

Please take a look at my suggestions I have summarized from all of our discussions and frustrations over the last couple of years. I think we need to attend a couple of these MDNR/NRC Open Deer Hunting Forums to voice our opinions.
Let me know what you think…

2010 Michigan Whitetail Deer Mgt Suggestions for MDNR:
Prepared by Michael Bobay, Avid Deer Hunter

Situation:
In my opinion the current mgt practices of the Michigan Deer Herd are yielding disappointing results. In 1996, the sportsmen men and women of the State of Michigan voted Proposal G in order to scientifically manage the state’s Natural Resources. I believe Michigan’s current deer hunting regulations are NOT yielding the results for the improvement of the deer herd. Buck to doe ratios in many parts of the state are way out of balance, in some places 20 to 1 or 10 to 1. I believe are goal should be 1-Buck to 3-Does or better. This would balance the deer herd to the carrying capacity of the land. Goals: Farmland: 35 per square mile, forested: less than 25 per square mile. I believe adopting some of the Quality Deer Management Practices in our Deer Hunting Regulations would help accomplish these goals.

Opportunities:
Michigan should be a North American destination for Deer Hunting, our deer herd population and genetics can compete with any state in the union. All we need is some modern deer hunting mgt practices implemented, to show the true potential of the Michigan deer herd. We need to balance the deer harvest between bucks and does to attain the buck to doe ratio and carrying capacity deer density goals. In just 2-3 years of implementing the suggestions below, Deer Hunters in Michigan would see a vast improvement in daytime deer movement and rutting behavior activity. All which would improve the outdoor deer hunting experience and hunter satisfaction.

Suggestions:
1.      Go back to a 1-Buck Kill Rule Per Hunter Per Year.

2.      All Bucks Must have at least 4-points on 1 side for harvest.

3.      Combo licenses are good for 1 buck and 1 doe, anywhere in the state of Michigan Public or Private land.

4.      Issue additional antlerless permits as needed to accomplish harvest goals in high deer density areas like Southern Michigan and DMU 452.

5.      Single purchase buck tags, Buck must have at least 4-points on 1-side.

6.      Either Ban Baiting State-wide or allow the limited 2-gallons of bait statewide. All or nothing.

7.      Improve the deer harvest self, volunteer, and mandatory registration process to attain more accurate harvest records.

Michael Bobay
michaelbobay@yahoo.com

We need to continue to voice our thought s and opinions!  please post your comments.

Happy New Year

Michigan isn’t ranking too high…

A couple friends of mine sent me emails with their opinion for Whitetail hunting throughout the rest of the country – see if you concur.

Anyone watched this episode yet? What a Joke!

10 Best Whitetail Desinations according to the Outdoor Channel Experts? Who are these idiots?  What critera did they use, never was explained.

1. Texas
2. Illinois
3. AB/SK, Canada
4. KS
5. CO, No way in hell, less that 15,000 Whitetail deer is the whole state?
6. WY, Same as CO, not enough Whitetail to be a contender.
7. MT
8. MI, Won’t make my top 10, poor quality deer mgt practices.
9. OK
10. Iowa

Deerslayer’s Top Deer Huntin’ Destinations:

1. AB/SK, Canada: The next World Record 300+ Pound Monster, will come from here.
2. Iowa: Kisky, Drury, or Tiffany Lakosky Farms are all I have to say about that!
3. Illinois: Pike County Triangle is Spectacular, more P&Y kills in last 10-years, then any where.
4. Wisconsin: More B&C and P&Y taken than any where else on earth, Buffalo County Baby!
5. Texas: They grow them big here, birth place of Trophy Deer Mgt.
6. Kansas: Coming on strong last 10-15 years, great genentics and habitat.
7. Montana: that Milk River Valley is anazing deer country.
8. Minnesota: Across the river from Wisconsim continuation of great deer huntin’ territory.
9. MB/ON: Big Woods, Big Bodied Mature Bucks, Sleeper area.
10. Okalahoma, another Sleeper, very similar to Texas Huntin’.

Runners Up:

11. Ohio: Big Bucks and Buckeyes, I hate the Crimson RED state, GO BLUE!
12. Indiana: Another unknown sleeper,  this state can produce 150+ Monsters.

MI Grand Slam’s comments:

Not sure I agree with the list too much. Here are my thoughts………..

MI is fair to poor at best. Deer mgt sucks. Too many hunters and issued tags.
SK & AB are too commericalized theses days. Was great in the late 80′s and 90′s. Was there did that.

TX…overrated…..all ranch hunting over bait piles……………been there did that.

MT…great place to hunt. Just not enough Whitetails and getting very commericialized in recent years. Been there did that.

WY….same as MT. Been there did that.

KS….The best place I have ever hunted whitetails with a stick & string………getting very commericalized and expensive.

OH…..hidden gem….getting much more attention these days.

IL & IN……great whitetail states. IL is very commericialized & can be costly.